I dropped a quick line about the upcoming Panasonic Toughbook UMPC the other day, and now that more details are available it looks
as though the device is actually shaping up to be a very well rounded piece of hardware. Before I start listing specs, lets keep in mind that this is a rugged ultra mobile PC that Panasonic says surpasses military specifications for hardware of this class, meaning that it can withstand a decent amount of punishment in the areas of shock, temperature, moisture, and others. Now to the good stuff.
The device is called the Toughbook U1, and is running a 1.33GHz Atom CPU. The only storage options are SSD flavored with your choice of 16GB or 32GB. The SSD only option makes sense enough; no moving parts in your storage medium means less components that could potentially break. The unit can also be equipped with 3G, either EV-DO or HSDPA. GPS is an option and of course there is the obligatory Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as well. Now for some of the more interesting features. Apparently the U1 is fan-less and will rely entirely on passive cooling to vent heat. Having an SSD surely cuts down on thermal output so this may be another reason that there is no HDD option. The efficient Atom CPU also contributes (or depending on how you look at it, doesn’t contribute) to the levels of heat that enable the U1 to forgo the fan all together. Probably the most interesting feature of the U1 is its dual batteries. Two battery slots which each hold a 2-cell battery enable the device to stay running while you swap out the battery that isn’t being utilized. This mean you could keep the machine running while swapping in as many batteries as you have. Panasonic says 3-4 hours of use for each battery which makes for a very nice 6-8 hours of use across both batteries. Expect to pay a premium price of around $2500 USD for this rugged UMPC.
Source: [PCMag.com]
Panasonic makes the very best laptops in this world. My 10 years old CF-M32 is still serving me as my home server running 7/24 at 100% CPU load. It is only 2 lb and it has an optical track ball, nothing comes close now 10 years have passed.
That said, now I’m an IBM Thinkpad X20 fan. This thing runs just too quiet and cold, and for only $100.
If not for the high price this would be the best UMPC available and I would buy it.
The format is perfect, I do not like the slider design on UMPCs or mobile phones and am not taken with the traditional notebook style UMPCs like the eee since it takes away from using it when standing. The slate form factor is the best but only if it has easy to reach keys next or underneath the screen. this seems perfect, esp0ecially if the keys are backlit.
Wonder why no other manufacturer has done a similar thing with the dual battery. Or simply have a built in 1 cell battery to keep the device alive for 5mins or so till you can swap the normal battery without powering it off.
finally some battery sanity. if panasonic have any brains, they did not patent this so others can use it to ;)